God has a lot to say about money and the way we manage it.  According to my Concordance, the word “money” appears 148 times in the Bible. Jesus talks about money more than He talks about hell. Why? Because how we handle money could determine whether or not we go to heaven or hell.

As parents and grandparents, we have a responsibility to teach our children how to be good stewards of God’s money.

Here are seven basic principles that I have discovered by searching God’s Word regarding money:

1) Everything we own belongs to God, including our money.  We are simply stewards of God’s belongings.

2) Always pay God first. The first ten percent of our gross earnings must be invested into God’s Kingdom.  This investment is called the tithe.  Consider this as an obligatory bill.  God uses the tithe as seed for our future provision.

3) Always pay yourself second. The second ten percent of our gross income must be invested into personal savings. Consider this also as an obligatory bill.

4) Put your savings into investments that give the best return.  The miracle of compound interest has created many a millionaire. And the more money we have, the more we can donate to spreading the Gospel.

5) Never spend more than you earn. In fact, spend less. Live within your means and practice delayed gratification.

6) Develop a giving attitude.  God has set a law into motion called the Law of Sowing and Reaping.  The more we sow, the more we will reap.  Teach your children to give generously to worthwhile causes, particularly those that spread the Gospel and help the poor.

7) Always use money and love people. Never love money and use people.

Remember: It is not money that is the problem. Money is neutral. It is our attitude toward money that can be the problem.

The question continually to ask ourselves is this: Do I have money or does money have me?

By teaching your children these seven principles, you will be helping them to set a solid foundation for wise money management God’s way.

___________________________________________
Copyright 2017 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD, MFA.  All Rights Reserved.

Dr. MaryAnn Diorio is a widely published, award-winning author of fiction for children and adults. Her latest children’s picture book, The Dandelion Patch, won the designation of “Best Book of Juvenile Fiction” in the 2017 Pinnacle Book Achievement Awards Contest. The Dandelion Patch is available on Amazon as are all of MaryAnn’s children’s books. To see a complete list, please click here.

To learn more about Dr. MaryAnn and her writing, please visit her at www.maryanndiorio.com.